CASINO SHUFFLE (37 page)

Antonio and Mark both stepped back to avoid the splash.
 
The floor speckled wet with salt water, they walked back over to the tank and looked downward.

“I thought we agreed we were only going to
threaten
to push him,” said Antonio.

“Hey, he yanked the stupid thing outta my hands.”
 
Mark laughed.
 
“Must be quite a show watching from the lobby.”

Antonio observed carefully as Ang turned himself in the depths using a piece of coral as a handhold.
 
“He’s swimming back up.”

“What kind fish are those?
 
The yellow ones?”

“They are…”
 
Antonio turned abruptly.

Behind them were two suited divers from the Mystic Aquarium.
 
They had an eight foot container on wheels that said LIVE FISH on the side.
 
Stacked on top of it were large duffel bags and diving equipment.

Mark said, “Why are you bringing back the shark?”

One of the divers said, “We just got here, man.”

Just as Antonio and Mark turned back to the water the four foot Mako shark named Lizzy swam out from beneath a rock ledge and turned sharply towards the paddling paparazzo.

Antonio dove into the tank.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Antonio’s weight carried him quickly down through the spirals of coral and faux rock outcroppings.
 
He was surrounded by a cloud of bubbles and colorful fish were exploding outward from him like fireworks.
 
As Ang Wang shot upwards past him, the rock display scraped along Antonio’s back as he pushed aside to allow the paparazzo an adequate escape route.
 
The Mako shark twisted away at the increased activity in the tank, but bumped his nose into a corner.
 
The momentary flash of pain snapped him back around and his tail flashed, shooting him upward at Antonio.

Antonio dug his hand into his inner jacket pocket, which was engorged with water and air bubbles.
 
He extracted his silver penlight.

The Mako opened its jaws against a backdrop of blurry front desk agents transfixed on the other side of the glass.
 
Antonio kicked off one of his shoes in the path of the shark.
 
It snapped it up with its teeth and thrashed violently.
 
Using the brief distraction, Antonio looked above him to see Ang Wang being lifted from the tank.
 
He quickly turned his attention back to the Mako shark just in time to see the severed toe of his shoe spiraling down to the depths and it’s decapitated other half falling from the shark’s jaws as it boldly swam forward, its fighting instinct aggravated.

Antonio pulled his knees to his chest and used his arms to swim backwards into a hole in the faux rock.
 
The indentation was just big enough to scrape the top of his head.
 
As the shark swam past, Antonio thrust his silver penlight between the flexing gills of the Mako.
 
The reaction was immediate.
 
The shark turned and with a massive sweep of its tailfin darted back downward to where it had been previously hidden, beneath a rock ledge at the bottom of the tank.
 
Lungs strained, Antonio pushed free of the hole and within three strong kicks he was breaking the surface and being pulled from the water.

Coughing and gasping, he was laid flat on the floor.

Mark yanked his bowtie free and snapped the button on his shirt collar.
 
“Take a few good breaths, buddy.”

Antonio removed a sodden handkerchief from his jacket pocket and spat into it.
 
“Where is…Ang Wang?”

“Right here,” said Ang.
 
He was crouched down holding out a dripping digital camera.
 
“Take it you fucking lunatic.”

Chapter
Thirty

Antonio entered the butler pantry wearing silk pajamas and a plush robe from the 24-hour casino gift shop in the lobby.

“I put it on your tab,” said Mark.
 
“I got myself this.”
 
He held up an eight inch rectangular box with a round red seal and ribbon affixed to the front.
 
“It’s a cigar.
 
To celebrate your near death experience.”

Antonio arched an eyebrow.
 
“That is a Stradivarius Churchill.
 
The wrapper leaf is from
Connecticut
, aged fifteen years.
 
It’s one of the top ten most expensive cigars in the world.”

“I got you one too, thought it would settle your nerves,” he said, handing over a second one.
 
“The gal at the counter said the box is made from Spanish cedar.”

“It is indeed.”
 
Antonio sat down as Mark exhumed the cigars from their coffins.
 
He took a box of wooden matches from a collection on a shelf beside him.
 
“Do you have a cigar cutter?”

Mark blinked.
 
“I just assumed you would have one on you, like you have everything else.”

Antonio ran his hands down the fluffy lapels of the robe.
 
“As you can see, I am prepared for nothing more than a nap.”

“I have a pocket knife.”
 
Mark opened the blade and ran it around the butt, removing a quarter inch of leave wrapper.
 
“Take this one.”

Within a minute they were smoking copiously and relaxing, the overhead ventilation fan whirring.

“Hey look at us,” said Mark.
 
“Like a couple of high school kids in the restroom.”

“This is the least of the policies we’ve violated this evening.”

“Too bad that shark didn’t get take a bite outta you,” said Mark.
 
“You were on the clock.
 
You coulda retired on workman’s comp.”

“I would rather remain intact and dutifully employed.”

“Maybe they’ll reimburse you for the tuxedo.
 
What’s one of those things cost?”

“The casino has already purchased the tuxedo.
 
They are each expensed.”

“Quite a racket you got going here.”

“Yes, the benefits of my position are overwhelming at times.”
 
Antonio had a sudden memory flash of open jaws and thorny rows of lethal teeth.
 
“Did you ever determine the origins of the master key that Ang Wang was using?”

Mark puffed out a perfect smoke ring.
 
“Add that to my hidden talents.
 
Yea, get a load of this: a bellhop had signed it out a week ago to deliver an amenity to a VIP guest for Player Development.
 
He thinks he left it in the PD office.
 
Never reported it so he wouldn’t get written up.
 
Poor kid’s scared shitless now that he knows what it was used for…”

“Damien Valentine, once again.”

“That’s what I figure.
 
A few pics of Shannon and Brandon in the suite would give the casino some free publicity.
 
Every celebrity fan freak would wanna stay here just to post it on their Facebook page.”

“But of course, it cannot be proven that Mr. Valentine found the key and passed it to Ang Wang.”

“Doubt it.
 
Ang won’t reveal his sources.
 
If the dip in the shark tank didn’t do it I don’t know what would.
 
Maybe we can put him in the tank with the
real
Liz Fiore.”

“Was the signed confidentiality agreement put in a safe place?”

“The confidentiality agreement Ang Wang signed, along with the signed agreement that we wouldn’t press charges against him for any wrongdoing while on the premises, were both scanned and sent to my contact in the legal department.
 
Since his cash windfall never happened I guess a stiff fine wasn’t looking so good after all.
 
My guess is he has an outstanding warrant or two and didn’t want to go to court.
 
If he writes one word about anything that happened here he’ll have our whole team of lawyers trying to take a bit outta his butt.”
 
Mark puffed, licked his lips.
 
“And he’s been ejected for life from the casino, of course.”

“The digital camera?”

“While you were taking a shower in the spa I took out the memory card, stuck it under a blow dryer in the restroom.
 
It was pretty corroded, all white around the edges.
 
I tried it in a laptop anyways just to make sure.
 
It was dead, didn’t even register as a memory card.
 
The camera is dead too, it’s on my souvenir shelf in my office.”

“So we’ll never know if he actually got a photograph.
 
Did you make the call to get the Internet and cable turned back on for the casino?”

“Yea, the guy wasn’t too happy about being woken up again.
 
He wanted to know what it was all about, something had him all jacked up.
 
I told him he’d find out soon enough.
 
I didn’t wanna spoil the surprise.”
 
He blew another smoke ring.
 
“Helluva Friday night, Antonio.”

“Saturday is looming on the horizon.”

Mark looked at his watch.
 
“I gotta go home and pick up dog shit.
 
You sleeping over?”

“Yes.
 
Max is in my office on the pull-out.
 
I have a rollaway bed.”

“Why isn’t Max in his suite?”
 
Mark stubbed out his cigar and held up a hand.
 
“Forget it.
 
I don’t wanna know anymore tonight.”

The door to the butler pantry opened and a female Room Service attendant pushed in a cart with a silver serving platter on top.
 
“It’s about time I thought you’d never come back.”
 
She removed the cover with a flourish.
 
“Baked Salmon fillet, compliments of Chef Carlson.”

Mark grunted.
 
“In the mood for fish, Antonio?”

Antonio gently took the silver dome cover from the attendant and placed it back over the serving dish.

Chapter Thirty-One

“Thanks for breakfast, I’m starving.”
 
Max was sitting behind Antonio’s writing desk in his undershirt and boxer shorts.
 
“I think these scrambled eggs have Salmon in them.”

Antonio exited the office bathroom, tugging the ends of his bowtie.
 
“I wouldn’t be surprised in the least.”

“A new tuxedo, a new day,” said Max.
 
“What kind of shoes are those – alligator?”

“Ostrich.”

Max stood up and patted his stomach.
 
“Do I have to wear a tuxedo again today?”

“I have a fresh one for you in plastic in the closet.”

“What kind of shoes do I get?”

“I believe they are cow.”

“Can’t we just tell
Shannon
the truth?”